On June 3rd, 2015, Dr. Danette O’Neal took her PAD500 class and campus Dean, Dr. Stephanie Hawkins from Morrow,GA to meet the Georgia Governor Nathan Deal…

… It was great exchange and even greater experience for the graduate students. The students asked the Governor Deal some critical questions about adult literacy, the fiscal set asides for funding literacy programs, and some policy questions regarding an upcoming referendum. Governor Deal asked our help in forming some sort of task force or thinktank in the near future to discuss critical policy issues regarding educational reform in Georgia. Our visit to the Capitol concluded with a behind the walls tour of the Senate and House Chambers and meeting rooms. Personnel from the house of Representatives allowed the students to sit where the Majority and Minority Whips sat and imagine what it was like to be the leader while in session. There was a lot of picture taking. The visit ended with the students getting the contact numbers of several Committee Chairpersons from the House that Chaired industries that they had a special interest in.